CBC
Sat, November 4, 2023
Debbie Kelly, PhD, is one of the principal investigators in the project to bring sexual health services into local pharmacies in provinces such as N.L., N.S., and Alberta.
(Submitted by Memorial University - image credit)
A project dedicated to making sexual health services accessible in pharmacies has received $2 million in funding from a federal agency.
Doctors and researchers from across the country collaborated on a project looking at ways to make sexual health care more accessible to Canadians by getting more of it into pharmacies.
Dr. Debbie Kelly is the director of the School of Pharmacy at MUN, was the principal investigator in the project.
"What we're going to be doing is looking at the evidence across the board," Kelly said. "And how do we move it from our existing systems to make health care more accessible for Canadians in relation to sexual well-being."
Funding has been provided by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to be used over the next five years.
The project aims to collect research on education, prevention, and treatment resources for sexually transmitted and bloodborne diseases such as HIV and syphilis, and then translate this research into concrete changes in the health-care system. Kelly said the current capacity of the health-care system to provide these services is limited.
"We're losing people between getting tested and actually connecting them with care and treatment," she said. "So if we can make testing easier for people by using rapid tests at pharmacies and connecting them with a health-care provider like a pharmacist, we can provide that level of preventive care. And if somebody has a positive test, they can be connected with treatment."
Taking a community approach
Kelly said that with the funding, they can learn better how to integrate their model into pharmacies, and keep it there.
To identify best practices, they are talking to people involved in the process, such as pharmacists. They aim to understand their workflow and find ways to effectively manage their workload. Kelly said many pharmacists face resource and staff shortages in handling their regular workload.
Additionally, Kelly said they will speak with people in different communities to learn about their specific needs, as different areas have a higher rate of certain diseases and challenges than others.
It's important work, Kelly explained, because many people are not aware of the risks of catching a disease that could take months or even years to manifest outwardly in the body. With this model, local pharmacies would have the ability to help people become aware and connect them to healthcare providers when they find out they carry a disease.
"And so [we're] figuring out a lot of those pieces of the puzzle, so that at the end of the day, we can be nimble and respond to what the provinces need, when they need it, over the span of the next five years."
A project dedicated to making sexual health services accessible in pharmacies has received $2 million in funding from a federal agency.
Doctors and researchers from across the country collaborated on a project looking at ways to make sexual health care more accessible to Canadians by getting more of it into pharmacies.
Dr. Debbie Kelly is the director of the School of Pharmacy at MUN, was the principal investigator in the project.
"What we're going to be doing is looking at the evidence across the board," Kelly said. "And how do we move it from our existing systems to make health care more accessible for Canadians in relation to sexual well-being."
Funding has been provided by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to be used over the next five years.
The project aims to collect research on education, prevention, and treatment resources for sexually transmitted and bloodborne diseases such as HIV and syphilis, and then translate this research into concrete changes in the health-care system. Kelly said the current capacity of the health-care system to provide these services is limited.
"We're losing people between getting tested and actually connecting them with care and treatment," she said. "So if we can make testing easier for people by using rapid tests at pharmacies and connecting them with a health-care provider like a pharmacist, we can provide that level of preventive care. And if somebody has a positive test, they can be connected with treatment."
Taking a community approach
Kelly said that with the funding, they can learn better how to integrate their model into pharmacies, and keep it there.
To identify best practices, they are talking to people involved in the process, such as pharmacists. They aim to understand their workflow and find ways to effectively manage their workload. Kelly said many pharmacists face resource and staff shortages in handling their regular workload.
Additionally, Kelly said they will speak with people in different communities to learn about their specific needs, as different areas have a higher rate of certain diseases and challenges than others.
It's important work, Kelly explained, because many people are not aware of the risks of catching a disease that could take months or even years to manifest outwardly in the body. With this model, local pharmacies would have the ability to help people become aware and connect them to healthcare providers when they find out they carry a disease.
"And so [we're] figuring out a lot of those pieces of the puzzle, so that at the end of the day, we can be nimble and respond to what the provinces need, when they need it, over the span of the next five years."
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